Spooling machine



April 2, 1935. E. G. cRooKs 'SPOOLING MACHINE Filed June 21, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l l'N VENTOR Ear/6": G ate/Yd TTORNEY A 2, ms. E. G. CROOKS 1,996,366

SPOOLING MACHINE Filed June 21, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO/F WIT/V556 B) Patented Apr. 2, 1935 a r 9 55;

omreo STATES era's OFFICE Earl G. Crooks, Elmira, N. Y., assignor to v Chemung Engineering Corporation, Elmira, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application June 21, 1934;, Serial No. 731,599 '8 Claims. .(ol. 242-18) This invention relates to spooling machines such spectiveof lack of concentricity between 'the.peas areemployedin the textile industry forwindripheries ofthe spoollflanges and its. body or ing thread or yarn on spools, and more particirregularities or unevenness in'the flanges theme ularly to the means ,forretaining the spools .on selves, while, in addition, the said means are .so.

whichthe threadis wound i or to'be' wound in arranged as to facilitate the throwing. of:thev 5 proper relation to the spool drivingrollsby which spool into and: out of engagement with the drivthe spools are rotated :so asto insurea uniform ing' roll-and theholding of an empty or partially and even drive of the latter. filled spool outof' engagement with the; latter In' U. S; Letters Patent 1,964,785; to be issued either prior to the initiation of the: winding .op-

to me on July 3; 1934, I disclosed and claimed. oration or during :said'toper'aticn in case,;because '10;

mechanism-forretaining the spools inoperative of thread breakage or forsome other reason, it association with their driving rolls which is ex- "be desired to temporarily prevent thezthreadon tremely efficient and satisfactory "in operation the spool from being damaged ;by contact with when theperimeters of the flanges of'the spools the rotating driving-roll while no thread: isibeing l5 utilized therewith are concentric with the bodies wound upon the spool:

of the spools. However, experience undervart This result is attained; as w'ellias certain other ous operating conditions hasshown that where results and advantages hereinafter. mQreIpartic-J the:perimeters'ofthe'spool'flanges and the bodies ularly pointed out,..by providing 'apair of guidev are in amore or'less noh-concentric'relatiori, as rolls for cooperation with each of the-spool flanges 20 is often the case with spools in which the flangesv and supporting them from'theadja'cent fiiiger in: 20. are not madeintegral with the bodies'or in which such manner that they 'exertan .equalize'drpres the material :of which the bodiesand flanges are sure on the spool flange atspacedxpoints and are integrally constructed issusceptible of rapid-wear free to follow its'periphery awn; times whereby or-iseasily damaged by rough usage, it-sometimes inequalities or unevenness intheflangezor lacksof;

happens that the spool will not drive evenly and concentricity between its: periphery and that'of':25..

uniformly :because of the tendencyofits flanges the. spool .body are. automatically-x compensated to followthe guide rolls under the pull of'fthe without varying the frictional engagement ofthe thread and thus "vary the frictional engagement body of thread onthe spool 'withzthefaceofthe of the thread Yon the spool body with the driving drive roll. Y

roll. Other objects, purposes and'advantages of the 30...

The present invention has therefore been de-. invention wil hereinafter more fully'appear or will veloped with a View, among other things, to overbe understood from thefollowing:description-of :a coming this difficulty by'theprovis'ion ofispool preferred embodiment thereofiasilustrated-in the retaining means, operating on the-same principles accompanying drawings in. operative combinas as th'ose disclosed and claimed inmysaid patent 'tion and association with aspooling machine: of: 35;.

butso arranged thatit is a matter of: no' conthetype to'which [have-referred 'andof which; sequence under any conditions of operation if only so much is shown as'is requisitefor adequate the flangesandbodies of the spools are, within comprehension of the. invention; reasonable limits, in non-concentric relation. In thesaid drawings, in:which like characters 40 Consequently; the spool retaining means forming of reference designate the same parts in the sev- 40..

the-subject of this application are especially desir-- eral figures: 1 i able for installation'in-millsin which a-consider- Fig. 1 is I a fragmentary front. elevation of Ta able number of such non-concentric spools are in portion of a spooling machinefprovided with the use, for as the latter gradually' wear outand are present improvementaa spool having one layer of?" replaced'with'accuratespools, nochangesrare-rethread partially wound "thereonubeing shown'in 45-; quired in the spooling'.-machines since therlatter, operative position in the machine; when equipped withthe presentzimprovements, Fig.2. isaa'fragmentary topz planview of/the willfoperate equally well with accurate and non:-

partsshow'n in Fig. 1; accurateispools. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation'thereof. I The principal'object of the invention'may therepartly; in section; a r

fore-be considered asvtheprovisionofiimproved. Fig. ids a fragmentary 'end'ielevationcorre means .forinsuring constant anduniform driving spending to Fig. Sibut'shoWing thespoolaftera engagementbetweenthebody of thread on each" plurality of 5 layers of. thread: have been .wound'f 5 spool orrofz'thel spoollbodyitselfrin. the absence; thereon, the change-in; the relation of:severa1.

of said thread, and the spoolcdrivingroll-Zirrea parts resulting from the additional .quantityyofp;

thread being clearly apparent from a comparison of these two figures;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end elevation corresponding to Figs. 3 and 4 but showing the manner in which a spool may be supported on the fingers in non-operative position, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view, partially in section, of two of the guide rolls and adjacent parts shown in the precedingfigures.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the spooling machine fragmentarily shown therein comprises horizontally extending rails I,

l suported at their extremities and in turn supporting the spool retainingfingers and the spool driving mechanism, the traverse mechanism by which the thread islaid evenly on the spool being preferably supported from the fingers. Customarily a series of spools are disposed in spaced axial alignment on each side of the rails l, i and separate driving and traverse mechanisms are provided for each series, but for convenience of illustration I have shown in the drawings and shall herein refer to but one-spool S and such portions of the driving and. traverse mechanisms as are required for its individual operation. 7

In accordance with usual practice, the driving mechanism includes a shaft3 disposed parallel to, below and somewhat in advance of the rails when viewed from. the front of the machine as "shown in Fig. 1. This shaft is journaled in brackets 4 secured to the rails at intervals by clips generally designated as 5 while collars 6 are secured to the shaft by set screws 6 to restrain it from longitudinal movement during its rotation when the machine is in operation,means (not shown) being provided for effecting rotation of the shaft at a suitable speed. Mounted at intervals on the shaft are driving rolls 1 preferably, andrin accordance with the usual practice, proadded with a facing 8'of cork or other suitable friction material, the width and diameter of the rolls being such that the faced circumferences thereof will properly drive a generally superjacent spool S through engagement with its body heitween its end flanges or with the thread wound thereon, when the spool is in winding position in the machine.

The traversing mechanism, to which reference has been made, guides the thread T onto the spool 'in a series of adjacent convolutions and consists essentially of a traverse bar IE! extendingin front ofthe upper part of the driving rolls longitudinally of the machine, and having notched guides ll, through which the thread is led to the spools from the respective sources of supply, secured to it at suitable intervals in alignment with the several spools. The bar is arranged for reciprocation at suitable speed and frequency by the customary mechanism (not shown) and is supported at intervals along its length on rolls [2 which are preferably carriedby certain of the spool retaining fingers l3 which are extended downwardly and forwardly for the1.purpose as at l3a, though any other manner of supporting therolls may be utilized V scripition of them is necessary, particularlyas 7 functions.

with the yoke.

When in winding position, each spool S is located between two of the fingers I3 which are respectively disposed along the rails I, I in pairs and are supported therefrom, the fingers of each pair lying adjacent but above and outside the ends of the respective driving rolls. As all the fingers are preferably of substantially similar construction, excepting those provided, if desired, with the extension 311, for supporting the traverse bar rolls E2, of which any requisite number may be supplied, a description of but one of them will suince. Thus, each finger may comprise a pair of similar metal members A, B welded together adjacent their outer portions and provided with opposed central offset portions affording an opening for the passage of a bolt i5 extending through a plate i6 overlying the members and threaded into another plate I! beneath the rails for adjustably securing the finger thereto. However, it will of course be understood that if desired, each finger may be made of a single casting and may be securedin the rails I, l in any other suitable or convenient manner as the specific form and/or construction of the fingers per'se is a matter of choice 'as long as they afford adequate support for the spool retaining parts hereinafter more particularly described.

Adjacent the end of each finger and outward- .ly from and above the driving roll, a T-shaped yoke, generally designated as 20, is pivoted on a, pin 2! so as to swing freely in a vertical plane.

This yoke comprises three arms 22, 23, 24

through the first of which the pin 2| is extended, while each of the others is provided near its outer end with a pin 26 on which is rotatably mounted a guide roll 21 or 28 as the case may be. Each of-these rolls, as best shown in Fig. 6, preferably comprises a hollow cylindrical body 29 and an integral flange 30 at that end of the roll which lies adjacent the yoke,

while the outer face of the roll is provided with a cork or other suitable, somewhat resilient facing 3| which has a generally conical contour adjacent the flange but is otherwise cylindrical. I

The rolls are preferably mounted on anti-friction bearings so they will turn very freely, conveniently and as shown by grooving the inner face of the roll body to provide a race for the reception of balls 32 and forming the opposite race by a pair of cooperative grooved washers '33 mounted on the pin 26 which extends through the yoke, a spacing washer 35 being interposed between the grooved washers and face of the yoke so as to properly locate the roll with respect thereto; after assembly of the parts, the ends of the pin are headed over so as to maintain them in proper relation. However, while this affords a convenient way of mounting the roll, any other suitable means may be utilized provided they are effective to permit its free rotation and to hold it in proper relation Each yoke is thus free to swing about the pivot pin which preferably, as best shown in Fig. 5, serves to support both yokes carried by each finger and, for limiting this swinging movement when the yoke is turned upwardly and forwardly, a stop pin 36 is mounted on the finger in the path of the arm 22' at a point above and outwardly from the pivot pin 2| so that when the yoke is swung up over center, it will engage the stop as shown in Fig. 5 and be thereby supported in overbalanced position as hereinafter more fully explained.

ging. operation,

v.thespool and trunnionsif provided therewith.

Under these conditions, after the spool Shas been placed in windingposition in the machine, its bodyrests on'the driving roll and'each of its flanges is engaged by, the adjacent guide rolls sub- ,stantially as shown in Fig. 3 so that when the drive roll rotates in the. direction of the arrow in said figure, the spool; through frictional engagement with. the surface of the drive roll will be rotated in the opposite direction during thewindamount of force is required to pull the thread over the guide l2 ofzthe traversingmechanism from the source of supply, and the reaction of this for'ceon the spool tends to pull the latter downwardly.and. forwardly, thus in effect wedg- ;:guide rolls is equalized betweenthem and ultimately taken on the pin2 i, just as it is ultimately taken on the pivot of the single guide roll utilized in the construction disclosed in my said patent. Thus, the principle of operation is the same in both cases save that where the two guide rolls are employed and mounted on the swinging yoke so that a two-point instead of a single-point contact with each flange results and the rolls can at all times follow the spool flange, irregularities in the latter or lack of concentricity between its periphery and the barrel of the spool are com: pensated for and cannot result in varying the frictional engagement between the spool barrel or body of thread thereon and the driving roll, and an even and uniform drive is therefore assured under all conditions.

Moreover, as can readily be observed from Figs. 3 and 4, when the thread is drawn onto the spool from the guide of the traversing mechanism, it does not pass close to the guide rolls at any time during the winding operation. Consequently, even when the parts are so adjusted that the guide rolls considerably overlap the inner edge or" the spool flanges and the spool is full or nearly full of thread, contact of the latter with either guide roll during normal winding of the spool is impossible as the draw of the thread is always between the guide rolls whenever the spool is in winding position.

In placing the spool in such position in the machine, it is generally preferable to have the yokes at the selected station swung outwardly about their pivots over center and therefore resting against the stops 36, that is, in the position indicated in Fig. 5-. The spool with one or more turns of thread wound thereon, can then be rested on the guide rolls, or an empty spool may be rested thereon and the thread then secured thereto; the spool and yokes are than swung upwardly and inwardly as a unit, the fianges being meanwhile held against the guide rolls, until the spool barrel seats on the driving roll which may be either at rest or turning in the direction of the arrows. The winding of the spool is thus initiated and may be continued until the spool is During the latter, a certainfilled when; by a simple :reverse: movement: in' asst. sociation; with the'yokes, it may be .broughtsitov the position of Fig. 5 preparatory to removal from the machine and insertion of a fresh spool. .This ability to quickly throwthe spool .-.out;,of winding position and thereafter support iton the yokes is a matter of considerable advantagefrom a-practical standpoinhsincerif thethr'ead should break during the windingoperation the machin'efi tender can very quicklygthrow the spool away. fromthe driving roll to. the position of Fig. 5 and keep it there until the thread can be tied pree paratory to, again putting thespoolzintooperation, thus obviating any 'roughenin'ggor other... damage, to theouter layer aofthe thread already wound thereon which frequently; occurs if the spool is allowed to rotate against the driving roll j for any extended period after :a. breakoccurs, as

is well understood by industry.

those conversant withthe.

Thus, any spool may be very quickly and easily" thrown into or out of operationwithout interfer j ing in any way with the operation of the other. 1.

spools, yet maintained adjaceritthe driving" roll ina convenient position and ready for. return theretoat the will of the machinetender;

As has been indicated, spool retaining 'fingers V embodying the present inventionmaybeincorporatedIin spooling or winding, niachinesnow general use inthe industry without their extensive reorganization or structuralmodification inasmuch as the fin ers may readily be secured 1 to the rails of such machines in substantially the .samelmanner as and in place of the fingers of i other types now in use, icy-merely removing t elatter and substituting therefor the former, and adjusting them so that the guide rolls properly engage the flanges of the spools as herein described. The present invention may thus readily be incorporated in a machine now in use without any serious interruption in its operation and at a relatively small expense.

It may here be pointed out that while the fingers disclosed and claimed in my said patent having but a single guide roll arranged for engagement with each spool flange are generally preferable when the spools employed are of substantially perfect concentricity with. respect to their bodies such, for example, as glass, porcelain and like integrally molded spools, I consider the fingers of the present invention more suitable for use in association with spools having separate flanges, as when the latter are made of metal and secured to a wooden or other non-integral body, forin such spools eccentricity of the flanges is of more common occurrence. Furthermore, in some machines and under certain operative conditions the fingers of the present invention may be preferred on account of their ability to sup-v port a spool in non-operative position, i. e., out of engagement with the driving roll, although it will of course be understood that this statement is not to be taken in any'sense nega-f tiving or limiting the possibility of providing the,

fingers of said patent with suitable means for construction and arrangement of the various parts are capable of modification and variation in many particulars, while the principles of the invention may be utilized in connection with many .7

types of spooling machines other than those to which I'have chosen to refer, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire toprotect by Letters Patent of the 7 United States:

1. A spool retaining finger for a spooling machine comprising a support, a yoke pivotally carried by the support, and means carried by the yoke at spaced points respectively adapted to be engaged by a spool flange.

2. A spool retaining finger for a spooling machine comprising a support, a yoke pivotally secured thereto having divergent arms, and'guiding means. respectively 1 carried by said arms adapted for engagement by the flange of a spool.

-3. ,A spool retaining finger for a spooling machine comprising a support, a yoke pivoted to said support, having divergent arms, a pin carried by each of said arms, and a guide roll supported from each pin in rotatable relation to the yoke.

' 45A spool retaining finger for a spooling machine comprising a support, a yoke having divergent arms, means for pivotally securing the yoke to the support, guiding means respectively carried by said arms adapted for engagement by the flange of a spool, and a stop secured to the comprising a spool driving roll, of a spool retainring finger disposed adjacent each end of the roll, and means pivotally carried by each finger comprising a plurality of rotatable guide rolls adapted to respectively engage the flanges of a spool at spaced points when the spool is seated on the driving roll.

6. The combination with a spooling machine having a spool driving roll, of a spool retaining finger disposed adjacent each end of the roll, a yoke pivoted to each finger at a point above and in advance of the axis of the driving roll considered in its direction of rotation, and means carried by each yoke adapted for engagement by a spool when it is seated on the roll.

7. In a spooling machine, the combination of a horizontal driving roll, a pair of fingers supported adjacent opposite ends of said roll, a flanged spool between the fingers, a member pivotally supported oneach finger at a point above the plane of the axis of the driving roll, and guiding means carried by each member operative through engagement with the spool flanges to restrain the spool from endwise movement and to cause it to hug the driving roll while the thread is being progressively wound upon it.

8. In a spooling machine of the character described, a driving roll, a pair of fingers disposed adjacent opposite ends of the roll, a flanged spool between the fingers, a yoke pivotally supported on each of the fingers, and means carried by each'yoke adapted to engage a flange of the spool at spaced points on its periphery to thereby maintain it in frictional engagement with the driving roll.

EARL G. CROOKS. 

